Electronic Arts linked to $1bn PopCap purchase

Big bid for casual gaming giant?

PopCap has denied that it is the target of a $1 billion (£624m) takeover, but rumours that gaming giant EA is set to snap up the casual gaming company are not going away.

PopCap is the name behind hits like Plants v Zombies and Bejeweled, and has been a major player in the rise and rise of both mobile phone gaming and games on social networks.

According to TechCrunch sources, EA is the company that is looking to buy PopCap, and continue its move into casual gaming.

Chillingo

EA has already invested heavily in this area – buying Chillingo for a reported $20 million, and rolling out key properties such as the FIFA football games for mobile devices.

The massive sum of money being discussed would represent a huge risk for EA, but the US games giant is well aware that the growth of the casual gaming market means that this is an area it cannot afford to not be a major player in.

PopCaps most popular title is Bejeweled, which has apparently sold more than 50 million copies across various platforms.